


Something There

by Azrel



Series: Xenogears Fic [1]
Category: Xenogears
Genre: Boundaries, Developing Relationship, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Matchmaking, safe sex talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 14:10:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20547452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azrel/pseuds/Azrel
Summary: Sigurd is tired of Bart pining after Billy and vice versa, and them *not acting on it*. Time to act on it! Isn't that big brothers /for/?





	Something There

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Laylah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/gifts).

> Since Elly and Fei broke up before the fic, that's going to be a story in and of itself. They're too toxic together. 
> 
> Same with Bart and Margie. Anyway, that implied relationship tag? Refers to those past relationships, and possibly to the background development of Elly/Margie. I think that's about it, note wise.

Sigurd was having fun watching Bart and Billy dance around each other-it was about time both of them found someone they cared about this much. It might not last-first, serious relationships didn’t always-but he hoped it did. It was shaping up to be a healthier relationship than the one Bart and Margie ever had. This was taking a load off his shoulders. He'd sent a pouch of coffee beans and a note saying 'GOOD LUCK. YOU MAY FIND THIS HELPFUL IN KEEPING UP WITH BART’.

(Though Sigurd knew he could afford to be a bit more direct with Bart, now with both Deus and Aveh gone...

"You know Margie doesn't have to put up with your shit anymore, right?” he'd asked Bart one afternoon, as they doing repairs.

Bart had paused, looking guilty. "What shit?"

"When you keep insulting her, calling her an idiot, that sort of thing. Every time you do it from now on, she's either leaving or stabbing you. Depending on how obnoxious you were. Hand me that spanner.”

"Fair enough," Bart replied after a long pause.)

It helped that Billy was genuinely a good influence on Bart-who was a lot calmer with the ex-priest in his life. And that Margie was flourishing now the marriage was off her shoulders. Sigurd was going to have so much fun, something he hadn’t expected to find here in the end of the world. He was dropping hints in conversation as well (“How’s Billy doing? You’ve been visiting the new orphanage a lot lately.” “Your carpentry skills are getting better. I’m impressed.” “Drop these letters off to Billy next time you see him for me, would you?” “IF YOU DON’T TELL BILLY YOU LOVE HIM I WILL.”)

* * *

To Do:

  1. Finish repairing the mansion.
  2. Only two rooms on the third floor left to repair, and we are DONE.
  3. The gardens have been tilled. Help Primera finish planting in the western garden.
  4. Borrow Citan for safe sex talk. Gun oil is a NOT a safe lube, Bart! I don’t care HOW horny you are!
  5. Ask Sigurd about Bart and marriage and/or courting, and when/if it’d be okay

Billy nodded, tapping his pen against the paper. There was another thing he was forgetting-oh yes, he needed to get that thank you letter written and sent to Sigurd. It was good knowing he had Sigurd's blessing for the relationship so far, and the coffee was wonderful when it came to keeping up with the kids and yes, Bart-but he was running out already. It might've been a luxury, and here he was trying to figure out how to get his next fix.

He could hear Prim and the few kids he’d been able to find after the disaster with the Wels earlier-before Deus had been killed at last-begin to stir. Time to get the day’s work started, then. Since they’d settled in the remains of Lahan, he could talk to Citan once the doctor come through on his daily rounds. Midori liked going collecting any engineering tools she could, and sometimes she’d play or work with Prim in the vegetable gardens; Primera could easily translate Midori’s way of communicating.

Knocks rapped on the front door-Billy hurried to let Bart in before the kids scampered down the stairs. Bart was a bit earlier than expected, but he had asked Bart to come here for The Talk with Citan, if only for his company…

“Good morning, Billy,” Bart said, flashing a bright smile. “I brought another bag of coffee beans?” He held up the bag, looking like a hopeful puppy.

“Come on in!” Billy told him. “I was about to get breakfast started, so you came at the right time. Citan’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

Bart followed him, so Billy couldn’t see his face-but he didn’t need to. “I don’t know… Sigurd told me the basics a couple of years back. He said he wanted me to know enough so I wouldn’t make stupid decisions.”

“Maybe so, but at the very least, he’ll be able to answer any questions either of us have about sex. Or lube. And he’s discreet.”

“True. He and Fei would be able to answer anything about two guys doing it, since they’re always at it.”

"...willing to lend you some tubes of lube, just don't go crazy and don't be afraid to experiment-and NO GUN OIL AS LUBE, that's dangerous to your health-"

"Not even in a hurry?" Bart, of course.

Citan just stared at him for a long moment. "Think about it. Anything used to clean weaponry isn't safe for inserting in a human body, and sex isn't that important."

"Olive oil's safer, though?"

"Yes. And if you use toys, use something with a flared base. You wouldn't believe the amount of things I've pulled out of people's ass because they didn't respect the need for proper thought for their fun."

Billy was listening intently-this was more informative than anything he'd gotten from Jesse. Who'd just tossed him a pack of condoms and told him to be careful.

* * *

That night they shared a bottle of beer in companionable silence. It was, of course, Bart who broke it first-not a surprise to Billy; Bart was jittery.

"What'd you think? You didn't seem-you looked uncomfortable at some points of Citan's talk."

"Mostly over the weird things people shove up their rears. A light bulb, really?" Billy snorted and took another swig of beer; he didn't like the taste but he needed something to fuzz his nerves a little. "You weren't impressed?"

"I don't know if that's the right word. Or if anxious is. The more I learn about how sex works the more I wonder." Bart grabbed the bottle and finished it off, burping.

"If it's worth it? Or if you're feeling attraction?"

"The latter. I... I act like I feel sexual attraction, but I don't. And it scares me. It can't be nor-" Bart shut up when Billy grabbed his hand.

"Bart, it's normal. It's normal. Didn't you hear Citan? Sexuality's a spectrum, there's no right or wrong. We're in this together, and I'm not going to reject you over this." Billy laughed, though it came out more unhappy than he'd intended. "I've got something to confess too, my own sex drive... isn't as high as it could be. I would have gone through the motions if it made you happy-if it's you, but not anyone else-but I wouldn't be to for anyone else."

"I wouldn't-you know I wouldn't-" Bart couldn't seem to be able to form coherent speech.

  
“I know.” Billy figured they needed a distraction from that-it was sooner than he'd expected to have That Talk and yet it was a relief to have shared it with someone who understood it, to a degree- and dug out the letters he’d been getting from Sigurd. “Does the writing on these look familiar to you?” He shoved them at Bart. Who wasn’t at his most graceful at the moment and spent the next half minute or so resorting them.

  
Wait for it, wait for it...

  
“Son of a bi-! Sigurd’s been working on you too? I would’ve told you I love you eventually, really.” Bart hissed, looking like a cat who’d just had a bowl of water thrown on him. 

“Really? _Really_? You were dragging your feet there-and I was wondering if you were still hung up on how things ended with Maggie... and that's why you didn't want to be formal about it yet."  
  
"More like how badly I treated her, but otherwise? I just didn't want to rush you-can-" Here Billy thunked his head into the table.

"You wouldn't have anyway, because if you _had_ I would've-I don't know-shot you in the kneecap or something," he pointed out. "If Sigurd or Ramsus hadn't taken you aside for a talk first. Yes, we're courting, or whatever you want to call it. Why else do you think I had Citan come over for the safe sex talk?" He paused. "We can always revisit this later if you want."  
  
"Yes please?"


End file.
